Freezing bugs for winter

[MrFlyTrap2]

About this time every year, we are just suddenly attacked by Asian beetles. Not fun and cute lady bugs, nasty bitey yellow ones that stink when you squish them.

Anyways they are easy to catch since they gather on windows like crazy. I was thinking of gathering them this year and freezing them for winter Nepenthes food.


Would this work? I know pet shops sell frozen crickets. Would it be as simple as throwing them in a bag, dumping them in the freezer? I'm just curious if freezing them would somehow destroy the 'nutrient value' the bug would have some how.

-Nate

 

[scottychaos]

Should work fine!
and I dont think freezing would reduce nutritional value at all..
it pretty much preserves them as-is, until they get fed to the plants..

just let them thaw out before feeding them to the plants..
half an hour would be plenty long enough.

I think its a great idea!

Scot

 

[JB_OrchidGuy]

Those yellow ladybugs are actually lady beetles. They are not ladybugs. Ladybugs are red. My GF had to correct me too. LOL. Anywho I tried feeding them to some VFT one year and ever trap died from it. Now I dunno if it was just the traps time or if the ladybeetle had anything to do with it.

Just my experience.

 

[DroseraBug]

Freezing them will preserve them and should preserve nutritional value. I've collected insects on and off for a long time now. Entomologist and collectors freeze them all the time to preserve them to be mounted as specimens for later. Just as Scotty mentioned let them thaw for a few minutes and they should be fine. Good idea!

 

[MrFlyTrap2]

They are nasty little things, like I said they have a horrid smell when squished, so there's something funky with them. I'll make sure to test them out on a ventricosa first. Maybe they were a little too meaty for the vft's.

I actually didn't realize how cheap crickets were in bulk. ($6 for 50!) I might just get these and freeze them instead. It'd be easier than running around like an idiot outside.

http://www.flukerfarms.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=800

-Nate

 

[JB_OrchidGuy]

Why not start some meal worm cultures??

 

[MrFlyTrap2]

I'm more in the business of killing bugs, rather than farming them.

 

[rattler]

some of you guys have way to much time on your hands.............

 

[swords]

I used to do that for my Neps all year long, get them at petco and freeze them til needed. Just make sure you tell people at your house that you've put a bag of crickets in the freezer!

$6 for 50 crickets is kinda high. If you check a reptile shop they're often a lot cheaper, if you order in bulk by mail you'll get em even cheaper. I think I paid $17 for 500 (this included the $9 shipping fee) when I used to order them by mail cos no stores had the size I needed for my baby lizard. It's the same price for any size crickets by mail - I've just gotten lazy and buy them when I buy catfood now.

 

[rattler]

so i guess im the odd man out..........hmmmm..........i just dump some organic ferts in a pitcher when im fertilizing my orchids....seems less fuss than freezing bugs......though im not apposed to odd things in the freezer....hell the wife put up with mice and rats in ours when i had snakes....

 

[ktulu]

If you can find a local pet store that breeds their own crickets you can get them really cheap, I pay .07 a piece for large crickets as long as I bring my own container. Also you can buy cans of crickets, mealworms, etc.. that are cooked in there and are supposed to be as good as live food. I have never used them cause my gecko wont eat prey that doesnt move but I bet the would work for neps.

 

[xvart]

Scot - why wait to have them thaw? Just so they start moving, regaining life, and triggering the pitcher?

I'm more in the business of killing bugs, rather than farming them.

lol. Well said.

xvart.

 

[nepenthes_ak]

if they are in the freezer they will die after so long. Fridge maybe.

 

[swords]

When I defrosted mine I put them in a cup of warm water, my thinking was that putting ice cold crix into the pitcher might not be a good idea. It might be fine - I just never did it cos I was so anal about my plants never having to be stressed - except when I got out the cutting knife every New Years Day...